Nara Kasugayama’s Umeshu You Can Eat
Umeshu is often perceived simply as a sweet, approachable liqueur. For many, it remains a casual staple, a reliable choice ordered without much deliberation. Yet, the first pour of Nara Kasugayama Shuzo’s Torotoro no Umeshu challenges this preconception entirely. As the glass is tilted, the amber-orange liquid glides slowly down the rim. It is dense enough to invite a spoon—an experience that transcends simply drinking.
A Two-Step Method Designed to Let You “Eat” Whole Ripe Plums Understanding the character of this umeshu begins with its meticulous production. The first stage begins with green plums from Nishiyoshino in Nara Prefecture, steeped in authentic shochu, brewing alcohol, and sugars to create the base umeshu. Up to this point, the process mirrors traditional plum liqueur production. The distinction lies in the second stage. Ripe plums from the same Nishiyoshino region are pureed and blended into the base liquor with the fruit flesh still intact. The result is a cloudy umeshu with an extract content of 20 percent, exceptionally high in solids. It presents a rich texture reminiscent of peach nectar. While a 10 percent alcohol content may seem modest, it is a deliberate choice. The robust body, sustained by the 20 percent extract, ensures the plum flavor retains its integrity to the very end, even as ice melts or soda is introduced. In Bangkok’s tropical climate, this low-alcohol, high-extract composition offers remarkable versatility in the glass.
Water from a Forest Protected for 1,100 Years, Largely Untouched by Human Hands The brewery stands in Takabatake-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture. Behind it rises Kasugayama Primeval Forest, the sacred mountain forest of Kasuga Taisha Shrine. In 841, an imperial decree by Emperor Ninmyo prohibited hunting and logging there. Since then, the forest has been protected for more than 1,100 years, largely untouched by human hands. In 1998, it was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara. The underground spring water that flows from this primeval forest is used to brew Torotoro no Umeshu. Nara itself is considered one of the birthplaces of sake brewing in Japan. At Shoryakuji Temple in the southeastern part of the city, techniques such as three-stage fermentation and heat pasteurization were established during the Muromachi period. Centuries before Louis Pasteur, the monks of this land were already practicing pasteurization. Nara carries the depth of more than a thousand years of brewing culture. On that same continuum stands Nara Kasugayama Shuzo, founded in 1877. Licensed to produce five categories of alcohol, it makes everything from sake to shochu to liqueurs. In 2022, when it changed its name from Yagi Shuzo to its current one, it adopted “Kasugayama” as part of the new name—a gesture of respect for the water that gives the brewery its life.
The Path Opened by Hanafuda A bold departure occurred in 2003. At the time, umeshu labels were dominated by bold brush-calligraphy. Expressing Japanese tradition through forceful brushstrokes was considered the norm. But the “Hanafuda Series,” the line that includes Torotoro no Umeshu, abandoned brush lettering altogether. Instead, it chose the design of the akatan card from hanafuda, the traditional Japanese card game: plum blossoms and a red poetry slip bearing the words aka yoroshi. That choice ultimately made the series a pioneer in the craft umeshu market. In May 2019, Torotoro no Umeshu won the Platinum Award at the London Sake Challenge. Assessed in a blind tasting by 28 sommeliers from around the world, only two labels in the umeshu category received Platinum that year. It also earned a place on the shelves of Hedonism Wines, the high-end spirits retailer in London’s Mayfair district.
What a Brewery of Nine Brings to the World A boutique brewery of just nine individuals stands at the foot of a World Heritage forest, carrying a label inspired by hanafuda. The cloudy umeshu it makes transcends the conventional assumption that umeshu is simply sweet and easy to drink. Beneath the velvety richness of its 20 percent extract rests, quietly layered together, the water of a 1,100-year-old forest, the ripe plums of Nishiyoshino, and the unwavering intent of a small brewery. (Mr.Bacchus)
This article is intended solely to explore the blending craftsmanship and cultural heritage of Nara Kasugayama Shuzo and the Torotoro no Umeshu brand, and does not aim to promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol. / บทความนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อนำเสนอข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับศิลปะการผสมผสานและมรดกทางวัฒนธรรมของ Nara Kasugayama Shuzo และแบรนด์ Torotoro no Umeshu เท่านั้น มิได้มีเจตนาเพื่อส่งเสริมหรือโฆษณาเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้มีอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป โปรดดื่มอย่างรับผิดชอบ